1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to providing circuits on a substrate, and more specifically relates to a method for circuitizing over an edge of a circuit card.
2. Background Art
As the electronics industry seeks to provide faster and more powerful electronic systems, there is a constant need to improve the techniques for manufacturing and packaging the devices that reside within such systems. Once such area involves circuit cards, which are required to provide smaller and smaller circuits of higher and higher functionality and precision. One method of providing increased capabilities is to fabricate circuit cards that include circuits that extend over an edge of the card. Thus, where limitations exist due to space and size requirements, circuit cards could provide a solution by having circuits that extend from a top surface of the card, over an edge, and along a side surface of the card. By providing such functionality, the circuit card can be adapted to hold more devices, more easily interface with adjacent components, save on space requirements, or simply give the system designer more flexibility in laying out circuits on the card.
However, because of the precision required in fabricating such circuit cards, manufacturers have been unable to develop a process for manufacturing cards that meet the necessary performance requirements. In particular, the prior art fails to teach any means for providing high density over the edge circuitization. Accordingly, in cases where circuit width and spacing is on the order of one mil (0.001 inch) or less, over the edge circuitization has not been feasible. Thus, without some precise and efficient means for circuitizing over an edge of a circuit card or other substrate, the ability to implement systems with such cards is limited.